Press

BRAVE MUSIC flyer for UK tour 2008...contact justine@brave-music-agency.co.uk

Two Fat Lovers tv promo session 2006

Vinny Peculiar, crowned ‘the Tony Hancock of pop’ by UNCUT MAGAZINE, is the sobriquet for one Alan Wilkes, a Bromsgrove-born, the Manchester based singer-songwriter. He has toured extensively with acts as diverse as The Killers, Malcolm Middleton and Edwyn Collins, is a regular compere on the Glastonbury Acoustic Stage and has worked with various artists from Bill Drummond to Bonehead. His seventh studio album 'Goodbye My Angry Friend' is out now on Pronoia Records.

Jesus Stole My Girlfriend - live promo session 2006

Vinny is taking a break from band shows for the remainder of 2008 concentrating on recording a new album with 'Ironing the Soul' producer Rob Ferrier [Clinic, Space, Crainbuilders], the band line up to be announced shortly, ...for regular updates from Vinny on this and more try the blogger.

Q Review...fall and rise...

Mike Joyce [the Smiths, Julian cope, PIL] played drums in the band from 2004 - 2007, a truly inspirational presence he remains a great friend; we haven't ruled out the possibility of working together in the future, we just felt the need to move on, as you do after awhile...

Former OASIS guitarist Paul Arthurs aka BONEHEAD got involved in the band after hearing the fall and rise album, which he really liked and one thing led to another. Initially he took up a management role but subsequently stepped into bass playing duties making his debut on the European dates in Germany and Austria. He did a great job and has continued to appear as a special guest on various VP acoustic shows.

Bill Drumond - KLF legend Bill and Vinny collaborated as artists in residence at the Cathedral Arts Festival, Belfast in 2004 living and working together over a 10 day period. Since then Vinny has gone on to appear at numerous house gigs as part of Bills SOUP Line project, he is also a life long member of The 17.

Crosby based Musician NHS Counsellor and long time VP associateTim Browne is co writer of a number of VP songs notably Uno Disco, Operation and Ironing the Soul. He's also the producer of the albums Growing Up with VP [2004] and 'Goodbye My Angry Friend' [2007]. Tim is a part time model, counsellor and beatles affectionardo appearing regularly at Liverpools Cavern Club with his seminal Beatles Bingo Experience.

Craig Gannon played guitar in the band between 2005-2007; he continues to write for film and tv and is a wonderful player and arranger, his strings and brass on Greedy Scorpios a real highlight, he also co wrote 'Billy Fisher on the Radio' which appears as a hidden track on the fall and rise album. Craig recently scored the incidental music for 'Inside the Smiths', Mike and Andy's retrospective DVD release made by Manchester Film Maker and TV21 owner Steve Petrico.

Ben Knott used to be in a band called JEEP , he also worked with World of Twist and roadied for the Shirehorses [as Mark Radcliffe pointed out during a recent radio2 session], in short he has paid his dues. Ben played keyboards with the band from Dec 2005 until nov 2007...he also runs a mobile organic farming business tending to all kinds of vegetation in distress, he possesses the human satellite navigation gene as well as having the gift of melody. How good is that!

Karen Leatham is the bass player with Manchester's Gabriel's Wish. Karen helped us out on several gigs when we were stuck for a bass player during the tail end of 2006 and early 2007 and a fine job she did too.

Andy Rourke continues to write and record with Freebass, a project he started with Peter Hook and Mani. He left the VP band after the Glastonbury Gig of 2005 playing some delightful bass on the Two Fat Lovers single before throwing in the towel in favour of DJing.

Marcus Williams, former Mighty Lemon Drop and Julian Cope bass player was an old friend of Mikes, they met when touring with Copey and he joined the VP band briefly and played on demos we made with SPOONER in Studio Sound Rochdale in August 2005. He also toured Scandanavia with us. He is a proper wired funky player but travel and time commitments were impossible to sustain. He is also a gifted comic; I cant ever recall laughing as much as we did with Markus in the band...the George Best of Rochdale...Swedish Cheese will never be the same.